Are you looking to get a chemical peel?
When you’re young, your skin is more resilient due to high cell turnover. However, starting in your mid-20s, your skin reduces collagen production. Cell renewal grinds slower, leaving you with dull, aging skin.
Humans have yet to discover the fountain of youth, but we have chemical peels. Want to know to age with grace? Learn more about chemical peels and whether getting a chemical peel is right for you.
1. What is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel works by resurfacing skin from a specified layer of skin. With exfoliating chemicals, the peel induces a controlled injury that stimulates your skin to regrow. An injury might seem like an antithesis to self-care, but this is how you expose youthful and new cells.
Chemical peels are available in three categories. These depend on how deeply they penetrate the skin.
Light chemical peels are the most superficial of the three. This type treats the outermost layer of skin known as the epidermis.
Medium and deep chemical peels both involve the dermis. The deep peel delves into sections underneath what a medium peel reaches.
Did you know that deep peels have medical applications as well? Some precancerous growths are treatable with chemical peels! Medium peels, such as the VI Peel Body, stimulate collagen growth and cell renewal.
2. What Ingredient
Types of chemical peels aren’t only based on how deep they go but also depend on the chemicals involved. The type of chemical peel depends on the primary ingredient. The most common chemical peels include glycolic acid, lactic acid, TCA, and carbolic acid.
You see these in your typical skin care products, but they are far more potent in chemical peels. In their higher concentrations, they stimulate cell turnover and facilitate skin renewal.
3. What Qualifies You for a Peel
Everyone wants to preserve and protect their beauty. However, chemical peels have contraindications. Avoid peels if you’re:
- Pregnant
- Taking oral acne medication within the last six months
- Prone to keloid scars
Undergoing a treatment with these conditions may do you more harm. That’s why a consultation with a trusted professional is a must.
4. How to Prepare for the peel
Take the necessary precautions before chemical treatment. Stay out of the sun, avoid shaving, and at-home facial scrubs before your appointment. Consult your dermatologist for directions on bleaching, retinoids, and antivirals before the treatment.
Something most people forget is their transportation. Some chemical peels are so intense that they require sedation. Arrange for someone to pick you up.
5. What to Expect from the Peel
Chemical peels remove the old top layers of your skin to reveal newer and younger cells. While it can’t treat deep wrinkles, chemical peels still pack a punch with lighter wrinkles.
A chemical peel minimizes wrinkles, brightens dull skin, and minimizes imperfections. Use chemical peels to reduce the appearance of light scarring and hyperpigmentation.
Many people see significant improvements to their skin texture in as little as a single treatment session! The deeper the treatment, the more dramatic the results.
Know that chemical peels still have their limitations. Chemical peels improve the superficial quality of the skin. This makes them somewhat ineffective on deep scars and wrinkles.
Additionally, your skin may have hypersensitive reactions to the chemical peel. Normal healing already includes skin redness, tenderness, and swelling. Your skin may also scab as it peels off.
Other risks of chemical peels include scarring, skin discoloration, and infection. Your new and exposed skin is vulnerable to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. However, this is avoidable and treatable with medication.
Skin discoloration occurs more in brown and black skin. This is due to the propensity of black and brown skin for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. In hypopigmentation, some patches of skin may lose their pigment and the ability to tan.
6. How Many Sessions Do You Need
Some chemical peels require a series of sessions to reach your ideal result. Consult your skin care professional to determine how many sessions you need. Their answer may depend on your desired type of peel.
Light chemical peels require you to return every two to five weeks. Medium chemical peels may need a repeat session. In contrast, deep chemical peels are often potent enough that you don’t need another session to reap the full effect of the treatment.
Setting your expectations and motivations is key. If you’re looking to eradicate deep wrinkles, repeated sessions might not cut it for you. You have better luck restoring volume to your face with our other services.
7. What Recovery Is Like
After your procedure, expect skin erythema or pinkness. Regardless of your peel depth of choice, your skin will appear pink, feel tight, tender, and swollen.
Consult your skin care professional about how long it will take for your skin to heal. Inquire what the healing process looks like so you are able to monitor it as it progresses. This also allows you to note any abnormalities and infections.
Your skin care professional should also give you instructions on caring for your newly treated skin. Ask for directions on cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. Some dermatologists prescribe ointments, medical-grade moisturizers, or antiviral medication.
Adhere to the aftercare directions and follow up with your doctor. The deeper your treatment, the more prolonged and severe the symptoms last.
In about two weeks, your skin should be fully regrown. You can cover the redness with cosmetics, provided you use sunscreen.
Are You Ready to Rejuvenate Your Skin With a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel is the best way to renew your skin. Before getting one, understand the types of peels, their results, and whether you qualify for one. Know what you need to do in preparation for the peel and how to take care of your rejuvenated skin.
Ready to take that leap for better and more youthful skin? That’s where we come in. Contact us and revive your best self today!